Tangled Bindings
by thisaccountisgone23456
Summary: Halibel's fraccion Apache had enough problems from tangling herself with the Sexta Espada. What happens when she gets tangled in one of Szayel's experiments? ApaGrimm, UlquiHime, and others, see inside.
1. Chapter 1

**Title:** Tangled Bindings

**Fandom:** Bleach

**Pairing/Characters:** Apache x Grimmjow (main), Uliquorra x Orihime, Sun Sun Mira Rose Apache (with hints at Mira Rose x Apache in the past) Szayel (with some Szayel x Apache) and Halibel will play a part in future chapters.

**Rating:** M

**Notes:** This is my first multichapter fic in forever. It's a romance/drama with a few twists and turns I hope people will find enjoyable. In this story, Apache and Grimmjow are already together. If you're looking for an "explanation" story, check out my other stories, What the Desert Knows and Breaking This Fixation. Being that I'm working with characters I've never touched before, and pairings/aspects of pairings I've had yet to play with, comments and critiques would be very much appreciated (so long as they are constructive and polite. Flames will be deleted.)

**Special Thanks:** To my beta, lj's kasenshiki, for being awesome and helping me out with this one!

**Tangled Bindings**

Chapter 1

It all started with the human girl. Apache didn't particularly LIKE the human girl, but she found her intriguing. She was very pretty, and yet at the same time so sad. Apache supposed if she had been dragged from her home against her will, she wouldn't be happy either. However, if someone were to kidnap Apache, there would be hell to pay. She couldn't understand how this girl could just allow herself to be held captive, with little to no battle.

She was a human, though. That would explain a lot.

Apache perched up in a low branch of the dead tree of the 'garden'. It wasn't a true garden in the human sense. Tall, dead grass and white, ghostly trees were the only things here, arranged in something like a courtyard. The trees were perfect for hiding in when she didn't want to be found. They also gave her quite a view of everything else going on around her.

"...Are you going to continue like this all day? Looking so sad, hm?" a low voice said from the opposite end of the garden. Apache perked up. It was the Quatros. She looked at him curiously, his green eyes falling on the human girl. Apache had never seen him in this kind of setting before...without the other espada around him. He seemed smaller, less frightening...and more tender.

"...I really just want to be alone right now..." The girl had said softly over at him. But Ulquiorra continued to advance. His arms draped over her shoulders from behind, and despite the upset look on her face, she lifted her hands to rest on his arms.

"If you keep doing this to yourself, you're going to become like me. You don't want that, do you?" He cracked an almost smile down at her...a smile on his face seemed so strange. And then from his pocket, he drew something red from his pocket. It was a flower from the human world. Apache had only seen one in her life. She didn't know exactly what it was called...Mira Rose and Sun Sun had liked them more than she had. She just liked the prickly thorns. But Orihime's eyes lit up, and she took the flower from him, a smile now on her face. The smile looked so much natural on her own lips as oppose to Ulquiorra's. And then she drew up and kissed him on the cheek. Ulquiorra's hand reached up, touching her face lightly. His green eyes met her own.

"This should be good..." muttered Apache, curious to see the espada get rejected by the human girl. Much to her surprise...it didn't happen. The girls cheeks turned red, but she didn't pull away. She looked back down to the flower, and then back up at the Espada. It was obvious that she wasn't completely sure what to make of him, but didn't mind his attentions. In fact...she rather liked them.

As suddenly as it had begun, Apache felt lips on the back of her neck, two arms pulling her nearly suffocatingly close against a nearly bare chest.

"Been lookin' for ya..." Grimmjow said softly. "...I feel like a fuck." She turned around, staring into ice blue eyes. She glanced back at Ulquiorra, who seemed to have noticed the rustle in the tree.

"Can we save it for later? Not like I'm trying to refuse, but I was busy..."

"Too busy for me, bitch?" He smirked and pulled her into a tight hold. "...I was in the human world, and I grabbed something for you."

"The hell?! You grabbed something for... me?"

"Well, what can I say. You are a good fuck." He smirked as he dipped into his pocket, and pulled out something small, ugly, and furry.

"...You got me a rat?"

"...It's a fucking cat, okay?!" Grimmjow growled, holding up the scrawny thing by the scuff of its neck. It was gray, had a large scar across its face, and hissed and spit at him. "...It was half dead anyway. And I'm partial to cats, but I don't need a friggen pet, so I figured I might as well give it to you rather than leave it."

"What am I supposed to do with a cat?" She realized right after she said it that it was the wrong thing to say. Grimmjow looked furious as he threw the kitten right at her.

"How the fuck am I supposed to know?! Do whatever you want with it, keep it, kill it, eat it, I don't give a fuck." He leapt down from the tree, hands shoved into his pockets. Ulquiorra was staring by now, and Apache could have hit something. She jumped from the tree.

"Oi, Sexta-sama." They were way past formalities but she used it now, anyway.. "Thanks, okay?"

"Whatever." Muttered Grimmjow as he peered over his shoulder. "You'll pay for it later." With a flick of his hand good bye, he stormed past Ulquiorra and Orihime, stopping once only to shout, "The fuck YOU looking at?" Apache just stood and shook her head. Then she turned awkwardly to look at the couple they had so suddenly interrupted.

"Oooooh, he got you a kitten!" Orihime exclaimed, not particularly caring or noticing the awkwardness. "...It's so cute...here kitty!" The little demon in Apache's hands started hissing again."Eheheh...a little vicious isn't he?" Ulquiorra sighed, looking to Apache and shaking his head.

"...You're...Halibel's Apache, right?" She nodded her head in response, having never been addressed by the Quatros before. "...I don't know what interest Grimmjow has in you, or you have in him...but..." He glanced to the cat. "...He gave that to you because he's too lazy to give a crap himself, but that ball of fur is actually a lot like him..." Apache looked down at the squirming beast in her hands. "It may sound strange, but I know him. He's pretty damn selfish most of the time, so he wouldn't just give you something without it having to do with him. And at least he didn't bring you the still beating heart of a rogue Shinigami, because I have known him to do that." In the mean time, Orihime was reaching out to touch the cat. Instead, she got nipped in the finger.

"I think he's hungry!" She said with a grin."I'll go get him some food..." She darted back in the direction of her quarters, leaving Apache and the Quatros there, alone with the yowling, twisting creature, which Apache was holding at arms length by the scruff of its neck.

"...So, you are allowed to let her run off like that?" she asked curiously.

"..I know she'll be back." He said simply. Her violet eyes met his green ones. "In the same way that Grimmjow knows you'll be back."

"What are you saying? You know Halibel-sama would –" He shook his head as she spoke.

"...I know nothing, just as you know nothing of...the human and I. Ignorance is truly bliss." Apache nodded her head.

"...Watch yourself with him. He will be the death of you if you don't watch out."

"...With all due respect, Quatros-sama...I could say the same for you.

- - -

"Why the fuck does my favorite pillow have claw marks in it?" A very irritated Mira Rose picked up the pillow and threw it in the middle of the floor. "Sun Sun, what did we say about bizarre pets in the bed room?"

"Mi-chan, you know I wouldn't. Narggles was the last one, and when he started to devour his own tail I knew it was pretty much hopeless." The sweet looking arrancar girl was stretched out on her bed, seeming to be stringing together some beads and rather sinister looking teeth.

"It's not Sun Sun's this time. It's mine." Apache was lying boredly on her bed, her hand taunting the gray kitten on her chest. He seemed to really like chewing on it, as was evident by the holes in her gloves.

"What?! Apache, I didn't think you'd stoop so low!" The rather sexy young arrancar swept up to her, and stared down at the cat. It hissed at her.

"...Where did you get that?" She narrowed her eyes.

"Found it." Apache replied boredly, letting the cat gnaw on her finger.

"...No, you don't just find these things in Hueco Mundo. They're living...although I'd say this one is living just barely by the looks of the little beast. It had to come from the human world."

"So what if it did?" She narrowed her eyes and looked up to Mira Rose, as if challenging her. "What the hell do you care?! It's just a stupid cat, it's not as bad as Narggles."

"I don't care, stupid! I just want to know how you got it...or...who gave it to you..."

"Was it Grimmjow-san?" Sun Sun chimed in. Both Apache and Mira Rose stopped and stared at her.

"...Now...What would give you that crazy idea?" Apache said. She was glancing to the side, hoping she didn't seem too flushed.

"Ha! Sun Sun, don't flatter her! Let's face it, if I couldn't sleep with him, neither of you stand a chance.." Apache's teeth were grinding so hard that the cat seemed to notice, and take it as an excuse to grind its own. "...He's out of my league. He'd only fuck the sexy, and powerful. And that means no one in this room is getting a taste of him. Least of all a pussy licker like you who wishes she had been born with a cock."

"...You know, leave my tongue out of this, Mira Rose. Last I checked, you liked my tongue." She gave her an evil grin, licking her lips as she spoke.

"...You're good, Apache. But your skills with women in bed don't hold a candle to what a hot thick cock can feel inside." She leaned over provocatively, letting her breasts dangle in front of the tomboy. "I may fuck you when I'm bored. And I'm sure you can attract your own...meager collection of boys and girls to sleep with. But you'll never be able to get the big fish. You'll always be like the rest of us...Halibel's girls."

"Why do you care so much about who sleeps with who?" Sun Sun asked curiously. "It's not exactly a big deal or anything."

"Sun Sun, you don't get it." Mira Rose said, bringing a hand to her forehead. "Goddamn it, why do I live with the two of you again?"

"...Because you're not powerful or sexy enough for anyone else." Apache finished in an annoyed tone. She held the equally annoyed looking kitten above her head, before setting it down on the floor.

"...You just wish Grimmjow would-"

"SHUT IT, MIRA ROSE. SHUT IT RIGHT NOW." Apache snapped at her. "...And while you're at it, leave my kitten alone." She glanced at the ball of fur on the ground, before making her way towards the door, thoroughly pissed. She wanted to find Grimmjow, maybe try to make up for her harsh words from earlier. Maybe fuck out some of this tension. But that wouldn't really solve the problem, now would it?

She was so angry, and not paying attention to where she was going, that she bumped head first into a figure. The force sent her straight to the ground on her behind.

"Hmm...interesting." Said a voice, as he stared down at the girl.

"...Octava-sama..."


	2. Chapter 2

**Title:** Tangled Bindings - Chapter 2

**Fandom:** Bleach

**Pairings/Characters:** Apache x Grimmjow (main) Ulquiorra x Orihime, Szayel x Apache (Don't ask. Just read.) Sun Sun, Mira Rose, and Halibel also appear.

**Rating:** R

**Notes:** Here's the next part. Spoilers for Hueco Mundo arc. This chapter also starts my own explanation of a hollow phenomena, though it will be completely revealed in a future chapter. Bare with me. Feedback on my Szayel characterization would be appreciated (I know I made him not quite as gay, lol) as would feedback on how I handled UlquiHime in Chapter 1.

**Special Thanks: **To my beta, kasenshiki. 3!!!

**Tangled Bindings - Chapter 2**

Szayel Apollo Grantz stared down at Apache, as she struggled to get herself up again as hastily as possible. The pink haired man's expression was fairly neutral considering that she had just stumbled straight into him. In one hand he held something that resembled a brown paper bag, although two others like it were on the ground beside her. She must have knocked them out of his arms.

"Fraccions should watch their steps more carefully. Pick those up." He demanded, as he adjusted his spectacle like mask. Apache wasn't about to argue, as she picked them up and placed them back in his arms. Grantz was lower than Halibel, and even lower than Grimmjow...but she found him more than slightly disturbing. Sun Sun often spoke of a time she had been in his labs, and saw terrible things, creatures with more than one head, mini hollows in a jar, and just this sense of misery floating about the whole place. It was not something that Apache ever cared to see in person.

Unfortunately, today she might not have a choice.

"Come with me." He demanded in a soft but firm tone.

"With all due respect, sir, Halibel-sama is the one I take orders from, and-"

"Halibel-sama, eh? What about Grimmjow ? I know for a fact that you take orders from him...and most likely not the type of orders Halibel would want you to take." An evil grin spread across his face, and Apache stared at him with shock.

"How do you-" A finger was pressed to her lips, silencing her.

"I have my ways, little one. I have my ways. I'm not about to give out your dirty little secret, but you need to come with me." Still, Apache narrowed her eyes at him.

"...I could make Grimmjow make you sorry." And he laughed, the most maniacal laugh she had ever heard.

"You?! Command the sexta?! You think much too highly of yourself, little one. The sexta doesn't give a shit about you. If he wanted, he could find a million other girls better looking than you are...with bigger tits and a cuter face." His fingers began to trace under her chin. She shivered at his touch, but other wise held her ground.

She knew he was right. That is what hurt the most. And what pissed her off even more was that he knew that it hurt her. It shouldn't. Caring for someone was such a weakness, and she detested being weak.

"Poor child, you thought perhaps he could love you. Arrancar love is very rare, you're not going to find it with him. However, if you put your feelings into other...efforts...you might find them beneficial." He smirked down at her, still thumbing her cheek. Apache pushed his hand away, but looked up at him intently.

"I'm not saying that I agree with ya, but.what do you mean by that?"

"I need help with an experiment I'm conducting. You won't need to work too hard, and it may later on help you in battle. It may help you impress your sexta."

"And if I say no...?"

"...Well, I simply inform Halibel of your little fling with Grimmjow...not only that, but I have a little secret, Apache. I suspect something about you. I won't tell you what it is until I am sure, but if it is true...it can mean great things for you." She narrowed her eyes at him, taking in his words carefully. It was black mail, pure and simple. But he was also trying to bribe her. Just what the fuck would a mad scientist be able to bribe her with?

"...Why should I trust you?"

"My dear..." his fingers teased under her chin as he looked down at her. "...It is not as if you have a choice."

---

She stood nude behind the white curtain. Never in her life had she felt so afraid, not even in battle against her strongest opponents.

Szayel stepped behind the curtain and examined her closely. He was pulling on a latex glove, and he had a tray set up to the side with several nasty looking instruments set out across it.

"To start, I need you to stand straight and try not to flinch. This is going to feel extremely strange, but it will only hurt a pinch." Apache took this to mean she had better brace her self. Apache's hollow hole was just below her breasts, in the center of her chest. Szayel first swabbed the inside of the hole with a strange, cold solution. He then scraped against the area with something that resembled a dull knife. It didn't outright hurt, but it took all her effort not to punch him in the face.

"Why are you doing all this?" she asked, as he moved on to examining the back of the hole, doing a similar procedure through the other side.

"...One like you isn't going to understand the technicalities behind all of this...but I will try to put this as simply as I can. Arrancar are hollows, even if we may be shaped like the humans and Shinigami. We are not created from a single being, we are made up from many suffering souls put together." His hands did their work as he moved on to examining the bone of her horn. "Before we were arrancar, we had to devour each other to survive. But sometimes we devoured too much..."

"Wouldn't that be a good thing?" She asked, trying to ignore the way he examined her, as if she were something under a microscope. "I mean, if we didn't devour enough, we would just devolve backwards and never make it up again."

"...True, but there is such a thing as too much. It's not the most common of occurrence, of course. One would have to eat hundreds of hollows successfully and come out on top...but not be quite ready to evolve to Vastrolord. When this happens, a split occurs."

"And what does this split do?" she asked, as he started to scrape away at her horn. She cringed, and clenched a fist. He smirked at her, seeming to take pleasure in her discomfort.

"It creates a new arrancar..." The fragments of bone were put in a petri dish, and he turned back towards her. "That's enough, for today..." Apache sighed with relief. She stepped over to the pile of clothes in the corner, picking up her jacket. However, before she could pull it on, she felt a still gloved hand on her ass.

"You're too nice a pet for him to keep exclusively." he said with a smirk, a finger running over her ass crack. She spun around instantly.

"Don't you fucking dare..." She growled under her breath.

"Oh, I'll dare if I choose..." There was a silence between them that was only broken by the sound of shuffling, as several of Szayel's fraccion brought in some equipment. Apache took the distraction as a chance to pull on her clothes and make a break for it.

"...You'll be back..." Szayel sneered at her as she left.

–-

That night was a wild one. Apache straddled Grimmjow in the dim light of his quarters, thrusting herself down on his cock violently and hard. Her body was covered in sweat, her eyes having a tint of anger in them. Grimmjow lay back lazily with one hand on her hip, the other hand feeling her rounded breasts. His nails dug into her skin as he moaned and shuddered against her.

"...Whoa, girl. You rode me pretty fuckin' hard..." He grinned broadly up at her, sitting up as she crawled off of him.

"...Yeah, guess I did." She said. A hand ran through her hair, and she got up to splash some water on her face. Grimmjow lay nude on his side, watching her.

"You're pissed about something. I could feel it."

"Yeah, and?" Apache's face was buried in a towel.

"And I was wondering why."

"What's it matter to you?" Grimmjow smirked and chuckled slightly at her response, which only seemed to make Apache even more angry. She threw the towel down on the table, and spun around.

"How long have we been fucking now?"

"Dunno. A couple of months, I guess."

"...Three, to be exact. And we've been in hiding for a good half of it."

"Well, if you feel like strolling up to your mistress and tellin' her how good my cock is, I'm sure it'd be just what she'd wanna hear this time of night."

"I'm sick of the hiding, Grimmjow. And I'm sick of feeling like all I am is a piece of meat. I'm done being just a fuck toy." Grimmjow groaned and shook his head.

"You know what? Fuck you Apache. If I was going to have a fuck toy, you wouldn't be it." The glint in his eyes had turned from amused to annoyed, and was rapidly developing in anger.

"Than why the fuck have we been doing this all these months?!" She exclaimed, motioning wildly with her arms. Her bare breasts bounced with her movement.

"If you don't get it by now, you never will."

This was going to explode into a shouting match, and she knew it. Her clothes were gathered up from the floor and thrown back on for the second time that day, and she stormed out of Grimmjow's room. The anger she had tried to burn off in sex was now even worse, and on top of it all, she had this ache in her chest like she had just lost something very important. She didn't want to go back to the fraccion quarters, not yet.

So Apache pocketed her hands, and made way to the only place she could go and be guaranteed a little bit of peace at this time of night - the baths.


	3. Chapter 3

**Title:** Tangled Bindings - Chapter 3  
**Fandom:** Bleach  
**Pairings/Characters:** Apache x Grimmjow (main) Ulquiorra x Orihime, Szayel x Apache, Sun Sun, Mira Rose, and Halibel also appear.  
**Rating:** M. Warning, this chapter contains a mild S&M scene, plus mentions of other kinks. Nothing horrifically graphic, but if that bothers you at all, you probably shouldn't read.  
**Notes:** Hey folks! I've noticed a lot of you have been watching this story, which I'm thrilled to see! Reviews would be VERY much appreciated, and could help me make this story even better. Polite comments and constructive critiques are loved! This chapter has a lot of Szayel and Apache, as well as a Sun Sun and Apache scene. Hope you guys enjoy. Also, for the record, Apache's shoulders up coloration was revealed in episode 161. For the sake of continuity, I am going to leave her eyes violet in this story, however, in future stories I will use the color design given. Check it out, I really like the design!

**Chapter 3**

The palace of Los Noches had several baths put in, mostly for the benefit of the Shinigami, but there was one designated for the female fraccion. It was not typically inhabited at this time of night, at least, she could hope. The door was opened a crack. Silence. She crept inside, and stripped herself for the third time that day, before sinking into the water with a bar of soap, trying to scrub the touch of both men off of her skin.

"Need a hand?" said a voice from behind her, and she jumped. "...It's just me, Apa-chan."

"Sun Sun..." Apache said softly. "I'm glad it's just you."

"Not in the mood for Mira Rose's usual antics tonight?" Sun Sun was slipping out of her robes, and into the water besides her comrade. "If it makes you feel any better, your cat shat in her bed."

Apache chuckled, and then remembered who the cat was from. The two arrancar girls sat in silence for a moment, before Sun Sun spoke

"...You and Grimmjow...have a fight?"

"You know, Sun Sun, how the hell is it you knew? I never told you -"

"You never denied it, either. And there was this time I caught the two of you looking at each other. It was only a few seconds, and I don't believe anyone else noticed...but it was just like something out of one of those human novels. You two seem...well suited for each other."

"Yeah, well, not anymore." Apache said glumly. Sun Sun frowned and put a hand on the girl's shoulder.

"It'll work out in the end. You usually get sick of guys quickly, it would have been the same with him." But Apache just shook her head.

"...It's different with him, because he's powerful. And an Espada. I've never fucked an Espada before. And I just felt like by being around him, like that I could get myself stronger too. There's more than that too. He-" Sun Sun placed a finger over her lips.

"It's all right. I know, you love him." Apache backed up and stared at her as if she had suggested she put on a pink frilly dress.

"THE FUCK?! Sun Sun, you know I don't do that, arrancar don't do that."

"They do when it benefits them. Love is a human word, but that doesn't mean we can't use it too, in our own way. Love for us is kind of like..." Sun Sun looked wistfully to the side for a moment, taping a finger against her chin thoughtfully. "...It's like a freshly killed animal, with the blood still dripping down its neck." Apache stared at her. "No, really, it is! You have this dead piece of meat, with all these helpful nutrients just oozing out of it. And you could try to keep it to yourself, but eventually you'd get sick of it and the carcass would start to rot. But when you share it with someone, even if you're giving up a portion of the meat, you're gaining an ally for the next time you go hunting! So then you can get even more dead animals!" Sun Sun smiled and nodded. Apache continued to stare.

"Sun Sun...you're special, you know that?"

"I know. But you need to realize that it's safer going through life with someone to hunt with. And comrades are nice, but someone whom you're mating with...even nicer."

Apache remained silent as she stood up in the bath. She stepped out and grabbed a towel.

"You're sweet, Sun Sun. But it's all right. Listen...I'm gonna go on a walk. Don't wait up for me." Sun-Sun nodded and smiled at her.

Her hair was still damp as she zipped up her jacket and made her way back down the hallway. Sun-Sun was an oddball, but she had a point. Grimmjow was a valuable ally despite everything, and there was something to be said about having a mate. She made her way down the hall back towards Grimmjow's quarters.

Surprisingly enough, the door was open, and there was someone standing right outside the door. It was another arrancar girl that she'd only seen in passing. She was a numeros, and much like Mira Rose, she wore very little, her blonde hair tied back in a high ponytail. She was nothing. Not even a fraccion, just a lowly servant.

But she was pretty. And Grimmjow had a slightly evil grin on his face as he looked at her.

Apache immediately turned and darted away before she could even consider what she had just seen. 'If I wanted a fuck toy, it wouldn't be you' Those had been his words. Well, maybe he'd found one. The pain in her chest that had been bothering her since she had left his quarters was now ten times worse. Cursing as she walked on, she knew she didn't want to just go back to her room.

There was still one place she could go.

Szayel's quarters were adjacent to his labs, and she was able to find it after only making one wrong turn. Fortunately, the wrong turn only lead her to the human girl's quarters, and she wasn't about to tell anyone about a run in with a simple fraccion. She knocked on the door without hesitation - she was past that now. The pink haired man was wearing loose white pants and an open white shirt...she had never seen him look so informal, but even in his nightwear there was something stern about his appearance.

"Look, I want what you can give me. I just want it on my terms." She said, running fingers over her hair nervously. Szayel took her by the hand and lead her inside. He led her to a chair and had her sit down.

"Would you like some tea?" He asked simply, as he carried over a tray after setting an extra cup on it.

"Sure." She replied without really thinking about whether or not she wanted it. She watched as he poured and handed her the cup, before taking his own.

"Careful, it's hot. I wouldn't want you to burn those lovely lips." He smirked at her. She held the cup and looked up at him, trying to find the best way to put everything into words.

"...I don't do anal." She said bluntly. "I don't like it much, and it's a pain in the ass if you know what I mean. I won't do anything with shit or piss. But other than those things, I'm willing to do what you want to learn whatever it is you know. 'Cause unless there was something big, I don't know why you wouldn't just use a numeros no one would miss."

Szayel's amber eyes squinted at the girl for a second, before he burst into an evil sort of laughter.

"My my, aren't you blunt? But I can respect that. You certainly have your...ideas of what I want..." He said as he stood up and walked over to her. A hand ran under her chin, forcing her to look up at him. "And I am willing to work with your conditions. But keep in mind...I could crush you if I choose. Don't forget it."

---

Sex with Szayel was unlike any sex she had ever had before. At first, he was just like any other man. He stripped her, and took her, and thrust into her like a whore. When he was done, he rolled over and ignored her. At least, that's what it was like at first.

But after the first tumble, all of that changed.

"Put this on." He said, throwing something that looked like scraps of black leather at her. The look on his face was somewhere between excited and amused. Apache picked up the black leather bra and held it up in front of her, before giving him a questioning look. "...Put it on, Apache. It might not be as bad as you think."

Apache slid the black leather bra over her pale white skin. The thong chaffed her ass, and she didn't like it. But the fishnet thigh highs and black elbow length gloves...she was digging those. A glance into the mirror besides Szayel's bed side, and she rather liked what she saw. She wished that Grimmjow could see her now.

Szyael came up from behind her, his arms drapping over her shoulders, pulling her in close to him, so that he could lead her to the bed. He then did two things Apache never thought she'd see an Espada do. He handed her a riding crop, and leaned over on to the bed.

"Hit me." He demanded.

"Wh...what?"

"I told you, hit me!" His tone of voice told her that she shouldn't ask again. She took the riding crop and smacked his exposed white flesh, watching him cry out in pain and pleasure at the same time. Again and again she hit him, a devilish grin on her face. Why not release her frustrations on him, if he was going to let her? After a few moments she allowed him to roll over, and she mounted him. There was definitely a feeling of sweet relief from frustration while doing all this.

But before she could take her satisfaction, Szayel rolled on top of her.

"It's your turn, Apache." He said with a cruel grin.

Suddenly, this was not as pleasurable as it had seemed...

---

The week crawled by. Apache spent her days training, avoiding Sun Sun and Mira Rose's questions about where she had been at each night till early in the morning. Only Halibel seemed to leave her be, but pushed her extra hard. She was still dabbing at the wound that her mistress had given her as she stepped for the sixth night into the laboratory. She may have a few more before the night was through.

If there was one thing that Apache learned about Szayel quickly, is that when he was working, he was working. It didn't matter if she was naked standing there, he wouldn't even get a stiffy until he was finished with what he was doing. Which was why tonight she was surprised when he suddenly pushed aside the array of materials on the counter, and pulled her up on to it. He snickered, and yanked down her hakama.

"...Weren't you in the middle of something?" She said with a gasp as he did so, his fingers roaming between her legs to feel at her. Szayel just grinned.

"...Oh, my dear, this is the most important thing yet." He pressed his long shaft inside of her, and Apache squirmed as his hips rocked her up and down again her. His tongue slid across her cheek, and she had to contain a shiver.

Suddenly, the door swung open. In stepped Ulquiorra, his face its usually mask, however, he looked less pleased than usual. And he definitely hadn't expected to walk in and find this. Szayel did not seemed phased at all by the visitor, and continued to pump deep and hard into her.

"...I see you're joining us a little late this evening..." He managed to say, before moaning slightly and finishing inside of her. "...But not too late." He smirked, pulling out and glancing down at Apache, then back to the pale faced arrancar. "...I wanted you to be able to see the look on your face as I fucked your sister."

Apache could only pull herself off the counter top and look from one Espada to the other as she tried to swallow his words.


	4. Chapter 4

**Title:** Tangled Bindings - Chapter 4  
**Fandom:** Bleach  
**Pairings/Characters:** Apache x Grimmjow (main) Ulquiorra x Orihime, Szayel x Apache, Sun Sun, Mira Rose, and Halibel also appear.  
**Rating:** M  
**Notes:** Finally got around to putting the finishing touches on this chapter. Here I attempt to explain arrancar siblings. My explanation is imperfect, I am not Kubo and I don't know what he intends with that (if anything at all.) I did my best! Thank you to all the commenters and reviewers, please keep it up. It's very much appreciated, please keep it up.

Special thanks to my beta, lj's kasenshiki!

The emotionless mask broke, and Ulquiorra's hand went to his sword. He had half drawn it from its sheath, when Szayel had quick as a flash slapped down on a small, black button Apache had not noticed before. Something that looked like electricity surged through the Quatros espada, and he fell to his knees.

"This is my lab. Ulquiorra-san..." The san was added on almost sarcastically. "Aizen-sama gave me full permission to make it difficult for unwanted intruders to get in." He smirked as he stepped over to the fallen Espada, hoisting him up under his arm.

"...Apache, help me get him on to the examining table."

Apache was currently in a daze. Sister? What the fuck had he been talking about? Pull her clothes back on, she made her way over and wrapped an arm around the green eyed arrancar. Together she and with Szayel pulled him on the table. Ulquiorra's eyes fell on Apache.

"Apache. You need to get out." He said firmly, although his voice wavered.

"I don't understand, what is going on-"

"Now now," said Szayel, as he placed the paralyzed arrancar on to the table, and unzippered his jacket down so that the hollow hole on his neck was exposed. "Don't go telling the girl that, I'm doing her a huge favor. Which is more than I can say you did.." Much as he had done the other day, he started to scrape and prod at the hole.

Apache was not the type to sit around while strange shit was happening all around her. "Fucking hell, Szayel, I just let you screw me and humiliate me, at least fucking tell me what kind of freak show experiment I'm part of."

Szayel laughed slightly, examining the contents of his latest petri dish. He looked her in the eye, before draping an arm over her shoulder and leading her to a microscope.

"...You're a feisty one, Apache, but you don't understand what I'm doing. Look here..." He motioned for her to look in the microscope. "Those are your 'chain of life' cells. The chain of life is what keeps a human's soul in its body. When it breaks, they are dead. When it is pulled out, they become a hollow. When a hollow devours another hollow...all the remnants of their chains of life merge into a single hollow hole." The slide was changed, and he had her look at the next one. "When an arrancar splits into two, the two are considered siblings, and the proof..." He motioned to the microscope, "Is right here."

"You're not saying that the Quatros is my brother, are you?" Her eyes fell on Ulquiorra.

"I am. And he's known it, but never bothered to tell you." Szayel smirked. "Thanks to science, I was able to bring it to light." His hands rested on Apache's shoulders. "...And now, thanks to you, my research can continue from where it left off when Il Forte got himself killed..." He smirked at her, before glancing towards the door, the sounds of heavy foot steps approaching it.

Grimmjow came running through the door, with Orihime right behind him. His sword was already drawn, and he pointed it straight at Szayel's head. "...Ya know, Grantz, I never thought you'd be stupid enough ta touch my girl. But since you are..." Szayel's hands ran from Apache's shoulders down to her hips.

"I don't believe she's your girl. For the past week, she's been mine."

"I'm not a piece of meat!" Apache shivered, pulling herself away, before stepping over to Ulquiorra. She stared down at his face, a face that bore traces of a very slight resemblance. But siblings...? "You knew this?" she asked. He nodded in reply, his muscles were still not moving very well.

"I still have my memories of when we first were...born. I did not want to take on responsibility for anyone but myself. Once we were both arrancar...that did not change. But you were well taken care of. I was one the ones who first pointed you out to Halibel. You're from the same blood as me...I knew you'd be strong. And be able to take care of yourself."

"...So then, why the drop in now?"

"...I told Orihime, and she didn't think Szayel should be the one to tell you, especially not in this way. She thought I should step in...and she was right..." The human girl smiled and darted to his side, helping him sit up.

"I'll heal you up fast..."

In the mean time, Grimmjow had taken this opportunity to tackle Szayel and pin him to the ground, knocking over some nasty looking viles in the process. Szayel was smaller than Grimmjow, and was obviously at a disadvantage, but that didn't mean he couldn't fight back. He shoved Grimmjow into the mixture of shattered glass and green liquid, which caused him to hiss in pain, as he tried to pull the bare skin of his back away immediately. While he was distracted, Szayel gave him a good hard kick, and pulled himself away. Another button was hastily pushed, and a trap door opened, Grimmjow falling straight down into it.

Apache, Ulquiorra, and Orihime all turned to stare.

"That should keep him busy for a while. He said with a smirk.

"The fuck are you doing this for?!" Apache cried as she darted over to the trap door.

"...For research. Since my brother died, I've needed a new set of siblings to study, and the two of you are some of the most powerful ones I could find. An Espada...and a fraccion who wants to be an Espada. Intriguing, isn't it? I needed to get both of you in one place, and, well...I've accomplished that." Ulquiorra stepped towards him, his limbs working once more thanks to Orihime.

"Congratulations. You have managed to anger two Espada ranked higher than you, possibly three, when Halibel finds out what you've been doing to her fraccion. What makes you think we'll let you live?"

"Well, for one thing, there's the fact that when Aizen knows what I've discovered, he'll be very pleased. For another, if you kill me...Grimmjow is as good as dead, and I'm not so sure Apache here would be so pleased with that." At that, a low growl that didn't sound human escaped Apache's throat. While she had seldom released her true form in the past, she could feel herself wanting to now - anything to give herself an edge to kick Szayel's ass, as though it actually would.

"...Leave him fucking out of this!" She shouted. Szayel stepped over to her and put a hand on her shoulder.

"...We're almost done, girl. We're almost done. I will let you go home free, but there's one last thing I need you to do."

"I'm not gonna do shit to hel-" He put a finger on her lips.

"It's very simple. I just want you to go down and retrieve Grimmjow from the pit."

"Why?" Apache narrowed her eyes as him suspiciously.

"...I'll go." Ulquiorra quickly volunteered.

"No. It has to be Apache...She is the only one who can. Unless of course, you'd rather leave him to die."

Apache glanced to the pit. This couldn't be safe...but Grimmjow was down there. And she had faith that he could handle almost anything, no matter how hurt he was.

"I'll go. It'll be fine. " She spoke as she stepped towards the pit, clenching a fist.

"There's a rope ladder connected to the wall over there." He instructed with a nod. "It's rather deep, you wouldn't want to fall as Grimmjow did." There was a sneer on his face, and Apache could only grab the white rope, lower it into the pit, and descend into the darkness.

The light slowly faded to dim as she climbed lower and lower. When she reached the bottom, she glanced around. The ground was very slimy and wet.

"Grimmjow...?" She called out. And then she spotted him. He seemed uninjured, standing with his back to her, facing a large, black wall. "...I'm glad you're still alive...look...I'm sorry. I shouldn't have gone to Szayel." He remained silent and motionless, his back still to her.

"I saw you with another girl, and I thought you were finished with me." Still, there was no response. "Szayel had a secret and I had to find out what it was...and I was stupid about it. You shouldn't have come here to save my sorry ass, but I'm glad you did. Now, why don't we get the hell out of here?"

As she spoke, she drew closer to him. She stopped right as she was in arm's length of him. Only then did he spin around, his hand grabbing her by the throat, lifting her up in the air.

"Grimm..." She choked out, barely able to speak. He continued to squeeze and shake her body, until she went limp as a rag doll. To seal the deal, a cero blast pierced her chest, leaving Apache dead in his grip. The Sexta Espada dropped her limp form, watching it fall to the ground.


	5. Chapter 5

**Title:** Tangled Bindings - Chapter 5

**Fandom:** Bleach

**Pairings/Characters:** Apache x Grimmjow (main) Ulquiorra x Orihime, Szayel x Apache, Sun Sun, Mira Rose, and Halibel also appear.

**Rating:** M.

**Notes:** Last true chapter of the story.

**Special Thanks:** To my beta, kasenshiki!

Before the sexta could move much further, an extremely strong fist slammed into the back of his head. To add to that, a bala with just enough potency to knock the wind out of him went into his back at point blank range, before Grimmjow could even turn around and see the one who attacked him. Halibel wasn't one to waste time with anything. She picked up the two limp forms and carried them up the rope ladder.

Orihime cried out as she saw Apache's body and Grimmjow's weak form over Halibel's shoulders. Seeing her struggle to get them up the last few notches, Ulquiorra immediately pulled Apache from Halibel's grip. In the mean time, Grimmjow lifted his head, just starting to come to as Halibel dropped him to the floor.. He was rather wordless as .he looked over at Apache. Instead of going for Halibel, he turned right to Szayel.

"...the fuck did you do to me down there?" The pink haired man just smiled. 

"..It's a fun pit, isn't it? The chemicals I use only work on males, but it makes them absolutely homicidal. Isn't that delightful?" Grimmjow growled and reeled as if to strike, but Szayel held up a hand. "Go ahead and kill me, but your former fuck toy will just have to stay dead."

Orihime and Halibel were over Apache's form, and Orihime was creating the familiar yellow force field around the dead form.

"...I should be able to revive her..." The young human's face was very determined, but her hands began to tremble. Halibel pulled herself back, observing with concern in her eyes.

"Orihime...Aizen had you exercising your powers all day...you need rest before you can do something as serious as this." Ulquiorra's words fell on Orihime's ears, but it took her falling over frustrated for the message to actually sink in. The Quatros could only watch and stare at his sister's dead face. Szayel stepped forward.

"I am almost certain I can fix her...with a little assistance from Ulquiorra." The pale espada stared at him for a moment, skeptically. "Why exactly do you think I've been doing all of this to begin with? It's actually partly by Aizen's request. There is truly not a blessed thing you can do except cooperate."

"What do you need me to do?"

"Step into my lab, and bring her with you. The rest of you will have to back off, if you want to see her alive again.

Grimmjow, much like Halibel, had been silently watching the ordeal unfold in front of him. His eyes did not leave the doors as they closed. And every so often, they glanced back at them, as he paced up and down this outer room. At one point, he kicked over a pile of important looking equipment. Halibel squinted her eyes at him.

"It's not going to change the situation, you know," she said, sitting down next to a nervous looking Orihime.

"I know it's fucking not, but I can't help it, that fucking bastard set us up so that I'd kill her. And unless his shit works, she's gone. By my hand." He had his back turned to Halibel, before glancing over his shoulder, so that like her, his eyes were the only part of his face visible. "She was never really mine to lose though, now was she?"

"...It depends on how you look at things. I...had suspected for a time Apache had been seeing someone. I should have guessed it was an Espada when she didn't openly brag about it."

"...Yeah. The girl didn't want you to know. Didn't want to piss you off. I don't really want to, either." Halibel just shook her head.

"...It's not exactly what I would have chosen for her. But Apache's so independent there's really no holding her back. What she does when I do not need her services does not concern me, so long as she's not causing harm to herself or to me."

"...Heh. I'm not exactly mister harmless."

"Well, you did just kill her. But...you were here to help her before I was." The two Espada's eye's met. "You have a soft spot for her."

"Dunno if I'd call it soft. It's usually pretty damn hard." He smirked.

"...Of course." She said dryly. "I suppose, Grimmjow, the best I can tell you to do is keep her satisfied. She so rarely is." Grimmjow didn't respond, but instead flopped down against the wall and seemed to fall asleep. Halibel knew that he was watching the door.

It was hard to say how much time had actually passed. Grimmjow sure as fuck didn't know. But his head perked up as soon as he heard the door creak open. Ulquiorra came first, holding the door open, as Szayel lead the smaller arrancar by the hand.. Apache squinted her eyes, first letting them fall on Halibel. 

"Halibel-sama..." She said, without moving. 

"Apache." She said with a firm nod. "..I'm very pleased to see that Szayel was able to revive you."

"Halibel-sama, I..." She stepped forward, but the Espada just shook her head.

"..There's no need to go in to it now. Apache, the company you keep doesn't really trouble me...as long as you serve under me as always have. Although...I really think you can do better than Szayel."

The pink haired man feigned a hurt look.

"...You're rather harsh, Halibel-san. I did just save the girl's life...and made her a part of something that is going to please Aizen-sama immensely." 

Apache just gawked at him. She started to walk forward, when she stumbled over a leg and fell right to the floor. Grimmjow smirked and watched her pull herself up into a sit. 

"Hey, Apa." He said in a low tone. Their eyes met, and it was an awkward moment, before Orihime started buzzing, practically tackle hugging Apache from behind.

"I'm so glad that you're all right! If you're Ulquiorra's sister, and Ulquiorra is...well..." She turned visibly red in the face. "But if we're... then that means you're..." She scratched her head. Apache took the opportunity to breathe. Ulquiorra stepped up and took Orihime by the hand. 

"The girl has had a long day. There'll be plenty of time to figure things out later, but for now...we should all leave this place. I'm sure Szayel has plenty of cleaning up to do." Grimmjow could only smirk, watching the pink haired man fuss over the rack of test tubes he had knocked over.

Apache stood up, glancing to Halibel, and then to Grimmjow.

"...Apache, I'll let the girls know you won't be home tonight." Halibel said before she could speak. Apache could only smile. 

"...Thank you, Halibel-sama..."

Arm in arm, Grimmjow and Apache made their way from the room.


	6. Epilogue

**Title:** Tangled Bindings - Epilogue

**Notes: **This bit was written weeks after I had completed the entire story as a sweet/sexy/funny wrap up. It was never sent to my beta, so beware. I know I have a long way to go as a writer, and only a few of you have bothered to read this thing at all, never mind to the end. But I wanted to say thank you for all your support 3 I really appreciate it, and it's encouraged me to try and write more, and also to branch out with some of my Bleach characterizations and pairings.

As with the rest of the story, this chapter is rated M

**Epilogue**

"You know, we should probably get up now."

"..Why?"

"Cause I think it's the middle of the afternoon." Apache lay nude in Grimmjow's bed, sheets haphazardly covering her figure. Grimmjow was lazily curled up on the other side, not looking the least bit interested in getting up. His hands were roaming over the curves of her hips from under the sheets, before he rolled over on top of her, an evil grin spreading across his face. Apache could only return the grin. "...But of course, I don't exactly mind staying in bed if I get to have some more of what I got last night." Apache found herself sitting up, her bare chest sliding up against his own.

"Fuck yeah!" He said as he looked down at her. Even though he had her several time already, there still seemed to be a hunger in his eyes. He leaned in and pressed a deep kiss to her mouth, strong arms wrapping about her small figure. 

"Hey, Grim?" the fraccion asked in a small voice. "...You never told me why you came to get me. Especially since I'm sure you were pissed." The Sexta looked at her, his lips trailing from her mouth to her neck.

"Idiot. Do I have to spell it out for you?" One of his large hands ran over her short black hair. "...You're my mate. I fuck you. I watch your back. I have you..." He grasped a lock of her hair almost painfully for a moment, before the hand drifted back to her hips. "...Sluts come and go, Apache. But it's hard to find someone who I can stand being around when the fucking's done."

He threw her back down against the sheets hard, ripping the covers off of her so that he could see her entirely. "...You're so fucking gorgeous, Apa, I could just fuck you and fuck you and never fuckin' stop. But you're also so loud, and bold. You know what you want and you do what you gotta to get it. You're a bitch, but you got class. I get so sick of suck ups who can't stand on their own two feet..." His hands were exploring her body, several fingers drifting between her thighs. "...You're the gal for me, if there ever was."

His words had stunned her into complete silence, which was a rarity for her. Only with that last movement of his hands did he hear her utter a moan. But then her hand stopped his, and brought the fingers to her lips, suckling on the middle on.

"...I never thought I'd be anyone's mate. Never mind the sexta's. But since I guess I am...I wanna make sure you don't regret your choice." With a sly grin on her face, she bent down in front of him, her hands and face drifting to his groin. 

"GOOD MORNING APACHE AND GRIMMJOW! WE MADE YOU A VERY SPECIAL BREAKFAST!" There was a pounding on the door of his room, and the pissed off look on Grimmjow's face was unlike any she had ever seen.

"That sounds like..." Apache started, and much to Grimmjow's dismay, she sat up, and pulled on Grimmjow's jacket to open the door. "...Orihime." The bubbly human girl was standing there holding the angry gray kitten, Sun Sun besides her with a tray of human cuisine. 

"...I thought you could use some refreshments after your night expenditures." Sun Sun said with a smile on her face. Apache could only stare and hope that Grimmjow wasn't forming a bala blast behind them.

"Yeah, um, we're kind of busy-" Orihime then thrust the gray furball at her.

"But he MISSES you! You should both play with him! And give him some more tender love and care!" Apache stared blankly at the human, the last few words not entirely in her vocabulary. The cat, while less violent and cranky than it had been a week ago, still looked thoroughly upset about Orihime lugging him out here.

"FUCKING HELL, YOU HAVE BAD TIMING." The raging Grimmjow had pulled on his hakama, and was tying it up as he shuffled over the door to glare at the two.

"But Grimmjow-san, you need to eat!" cried Orihime.

"Oh no he doesn't..." a voice called from down the hallway. "How many times did I tell you, Orihime? If they were hungry, they'd have come out already. Ulquiorra put a hand on Orihime's shoulder and pulled her back. "...Fraccion, you should probably come along too."

Apache glanced from the fuming Grimmjow, to the cautious Ulquiorra, and then back to the naive girls. She burst out into laughter, patting the cat on the head..

"Thanks for your concern, but we're gonna enjoy it and each other for a bit longer...and we'll catch up with you all later. If you could take care of the kitten until then..." She slowly started to close the door, leaving Ulquiorra to pull the two away. Apache's eyes fell on Grimmjow's as her hands went to the hastily tied hakama sash.

"..Without further interruptions...here's my millionth apology for what happened this week." Grimmjow could only grin.

"Don't rush, darlin'. Ya got forever to show me how sorry you are."

With that, the two arrancar sank back into Grimmjow's bed, where they both belonged.

_**The End**_


End file.
